The residents of Vriesland and Vive La-Force, West Bank Demerara in Region Three are complaining of the deplorable state of their roadways and the constant flooding they endure.
“Before elections Irfaan Ali and all a dem come and say that dem gon give we road and dem things that…,” was the comment of irate Asgar (only name given).
He added that they want to see the promises materialize now that the elections are over and the PPP/C is still in power.
The residents are complaining that the state of the road is deplorable and they experience constant flooding when the water from the nearby cane fields is being drained into the trench and the koker is not open.
They added that the health centre that was built to serve them, with their hard-earned money, is not operable and that regional officials told them that “there are not enough persons in the area for the facility to become operable.”
However, when this was put to Regional Chairman Julius Faerber, he said that the health centre was vandalized by members of the community when it was built and they are now trying to “resuscitate” it.
Faerber also told Stabroek News that the roads the residents are complaining about are classified as main roads and the regional administration does not have the mandate to repair these roads. These roads would fall under the mandate of the Ministry of Public Works, he said, and he has already informed them of that. Faerber added that the last time they did work was the “week before elections” and currently there is a “grader” doing works in the area.
Told that when Stabroek News visited the area no machinery was visible, Faerber said it was supposed to be in the area but it had encountered a puncture and left to have that repaired. While returning to the area, he said, the grader was diverted to pull the region’s tractor out of a trench where the bridge collapsed. He said work would resume yesterday.
Meanwhile, members of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of the Vive La-Force Primary School are complaining about the deplorable state of the school, which is being vandalized on a fortnightly basis.
PTA Chairman Laurel Smith said she is concerned about the safety of the children, especially the girls, since the school is surrounded by bush and the children play in a weed-infested playground.
“Because of the bush in the playground we had to take our sports to the Patentia playground and some of our children were beaten and robbed by the bigger students there,” she said.
She said the school should have a guard since it never had one, while Faerber is saying that it is the Ministry of Public Works responsibility to hire guards for the facilities.
He concluded by saying that as a community the residents must overlook what is transpiring in their neighbourhood and ensure that the vandals are caught since the community is remote and sparsely populated.
